Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Terchant, built at the end of the 16th century by Jean du Matz (known as Montmartin), became a major Protestant fief in Mayenne. Acquired after the unification of the local seigneuries (Cossé, Ruillé, etc.), it was erected as a Viscount by Henry IV in 1629, under the authority of Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duchess of La Tremoille. This status was challenged by the Counts of Laval until 1736, particularly in matters of jurisdiction and annuities such as the 116 oat chivalerets.

From its inception, Terchant housed an active Protestant Church, linked to the synods of Vitré and Laval. The records kept by Pastor Jean Demay (1660-1683) attest to his central role after the abandonment of the cult in Poligné in 1660. The Protestant cemetery, located near the Château aux Quatre-Fourchettes, hosted burials until the revocation of the edict of Nantes. In 1686 the forced abjuration of the faithful, including Demay, marked the end of local Protestantism under the authority of Royal Judge Ambrose Touchard.

The estate, transmitted by inheritance or sale, passed from the Matz to the Goyon (including Claude-Charles, seigneur in the 17th century), then to the Le Clerc des Gaudesches and Les Couasnon. Amaury-Charles de Goyon, converted to Catholicism in 1690, sold Terchant in 1720 to Laurent Froment de Villeneuve. In the 19th century, the castle, partially demolished (a lost wing), was restored, highlighting its gardens, ponds and an untabotious island chapel project. Father Angot emphasized his landscaping as the main asset.

The lords of Terchant, often linked to the Breton or Mayan aristocracy, illustrate the religious and feudal tensions of the time. Philippe du Montmartin (died 1639) or Jacques de Goyon (spouse of Élisabeth du Matz) embodied this line, while figures such as Moïse du Cros (captain of cavalry) or César-Léonard de Couasnon (royalist arrested in 1832) marked his history until the 19th century. The local archives and Protestant records of Vitré keep track of it.

The castle, now known for its park and ponds, also reflects the history of Protestantism in Anjou-Mayenne. Its role as a religious refuge, then its reconversion after 1685, made it a witness to the conflicts between royal power, local nobility and reformed communities. The armed posts of the Goyon, subject of disputes, symbolize these statutory tensions until they are definitively recognised.

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